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Before you get too
excited this isn't a situation where I am giving away any software. It also is
not a promotion or a scam, it is about legitimate sites and programs that offer
Microsoft software and tools for various time periods. I thought this post would
be useful to people with personal projects and students who are choosing what software to use for their
final project as well as students entering the upcoming Teleios Code Jam competition which has highlighted bonus points for using specific
technologies. I am focusing on Microsoft products because whenever I suggest
using Microsoft products in classes or during presentations I always hear
complaints about license price especially for small short projects.

Here is the list of
sites and programs that I am aware of:

MSDN Evaluation Centre - This centre allows individuals to download full featured Microsoft
software and tools which can be used for a trial period (90 or 180 days). It
also sometimes has links to Microsoft preview of new products.

DreamSpark - This program
allows students, educators and academic institutions to get access to Microsoft
software and tools at no cost to assist with learning, teaching and research.
In technical education who wouldn’t want to use the latest technologies?

BizSpark - This
program provides start-ups with free software, tools and support for three
years. For more information about eligibility of the BizSpark program check out
the FAQ.

While the options
above are the full products for a limited time, if you want to use a free
version of the product for an unlimited time then look for the Express edition.
Of course each product Express edition will have some limitations and lack some features.

If you know about
any other legitimate sites or programs please feel free to mention them in the
comments.